Schilling Officially Retires

Curt Schilling, the man who returned to Boston and brought home a World Series in 2004, has officially announced his retirement.

Here's a portion of Schilling's retirement post at 38Pitches.com:

"The game always gave me far more than I ever gave it. All of those things, every single one of those memories is enveloped with fan sights and sounds for me. Without the fans they would still be great memories, but none would be enduring and unforgettable because they infused the energy, rage, passion and 'feel' of all of those times. The game was here long before I was, and will be here long after I am gone. The only thing I hope I did was never put in question my love for the game, or my passion to be counted on when it mattered most. I did everything I could to win every time I was handed the ball..."

Schilling finishes with a 216-146 record with a 3.46 ERA and 3,116 strikeouts. He finished second in the Cy Young balloting three times (2001, 2002, 2004). Schilling went 21-6 in 2004 for the Red Sox, then struggled through injuries and a failed closer experiment in 2005. In 2006, he rebounded and hurled over 200 innings. The 2007 season saw his season cut short by injury, but the numbers were still there. After missing all of 2008 with injury, he is now making his retirement official.

Schilling may have only spent four years in a Boston uniform, but he's one of the more indelible players to ever wear the uniform and seems destined for the Hall of Fame.